The Sound of Silence
by brighteyes0621
Summary: AU: Broken glass and sand, such simple elements. Can Harry learn to live in a world in which those two ordinary things have shaped history, or will the despair the changes bring drive him away from the only home he knows, away from Hogwarts?
1. Default Chapter

A/N: Hi guys. This is my second story. I hope people like it as much as my other one. No I haven't given up on Adjustements...this one was just demanding that I work on it also. I want to thank my beta reader Saavik for helping me and encouraging me to run with it. Hope everyone enjoys.  
  
Oh yeah....to keep the powers that be happy: I Don't own them...wish I did but I don't sniffle  
  
Sound of Silence Simon & Garfunkel ________________________________________________  
  
Hello darkness, my old friend, I´ve come to talk with you again because a vision softly creeping, left its seeds while I was sleeping and the vision that was planted in my brain, still remains within the sound of silence  
  
In restless dreams I walked alone, narrow streets of cobblestone neath the halo of a streelamp, I turned my collar to the cold and damp when my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light, split the night and touchend the sound of silence  
  
And in the naked light I saw, ten thousand people, maybe more people talking without speaking, people hearing without litening people writing songs that voices never shared, and no one dared to stir the sound of silence  
  
Fool, said I you do not know silence like a cancer grown hear my words and I might teach you take my arms then I might reach you but my words like silent raindrops fell and echoed in the well so silence  
  
And the people bowed and prayed to the neon god they´d made and the sign flashed its warning in the words that it was forming and the sign said the words of the prophets are written on the subway walls and tenement halls and whispered in the sounds of silence  
A/N: Just thought this song was fitting for Harry and this story...hence the title. (Thank you Saavik for suggesting it).  
Harry slowly got up from the ground and rubbed his head. The last thing he remembered before falling to the ground was using the time turner to rescue Sirius. He knew that both he and Hermione had been successful but could not remember what happened after that. Harry had a feeling something horrific had taken place but for some reason the memory escaped him.   
  
Harry dusted off and straightened his robes while looking around trying to figure out how he got onto the grounds outside of Hogwarts and near the Forbidden Forest. Once he realized where he was at his past experiences with the creatures that lived in the forest, - namely large spiders that viewed children as a snack, - flashed through his mind and he quickly took giant steps back to put as much distance between himself and the terrifying forest as he could. Once the fear receded, a question that had been niggling at the back of his consciousness made itself known. 'Where is Hermione?'   
  
The last time he remembered seeing her they were together. Just as he spun around to begin his frantic search, he collided with a firm barrier that turned out to be the figure of an unhappy wizard, before he could look up to see who he had run into, a deep, silky voice reached his ears.   
  
"Well, well, well. If it isn't the famous Mr. Potter." Professor Snape spat. "Fifty points from Gryffindor for being out after curfew." there was a moments hesitation and rather then more points being deducted like Harry suspected, he heard his professor squeak "H.Harry?"   
  
Severus Snape had been soundlessly prowling the grounds outside of Hogwarts like he had a tendency to do when the tension began to build and the nightmares became too much. Lately he had found himself outside at night more times a week then he was inside. The fresh, crisp, cool air helped clear his mind and allowed him to relax. At the beginning of his third and last lap around, he noticed movement at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. He narrowed his eyes and could just make out the form of a small boy. By the small stature he guessed that it was a first year. He felt his anger mount as he realized that some foolish child had been stupid enough to not only ignore the warnings to not be outside after nightfall, but was also dumb enough to be alone and by the Forbidden Forest of all places! 'Doesn't the child have any common sense or instinct for self preservation?' He thought darkly to himself.   
  
Still unable to identify the boy and unwilling to announce he presence, lest the boy make a run for it (he really was too tired to chase the miscreant) he soundlessly made his way over to stand behind the child. Just as he was about to reach out and grab the boy's shoulder, the child spun around and walked right into him.   
  
His first response was to deduct points for this act of stupidity, but all of a sudden his mind caught up with his mouth. He couldn't get his mind to accept the fact that the boy he was scolding was none other than Harry Potter. He knew he must look ridiculous standing there with his mouth hanging open but he couldn't get any of his muscles to work.   
  
Snape's thoughts were in a whirlwind of confusion and still unable to get his vocal chords unglued, the frazzled wizard did the only thing he could think of and grabbed the small boy's arm and begin to drag him to the castle with every intention of bringing him to the headmaster.   
  
"Stop!" Harry yelled uselessly. "What are you doing? You don't understand I have to find Hermione." With no response other than the grip tightening around his arm he began to struggle even harder.   
  
Feeling the boy trying to wriggle from his grasp and hearing the distress edging Harry's voice snapped the older wizard back to his senses. "Stop fighting child" he said with weariness bleeding into his voice. He loosened his grip but did not let go entirely. "I am merely bringing you to speak with Professor Dumbledore." He finished and again started guiding the boy to the castle.   
  
Harry dug in his heels and began to try and pull his arm away from his potion master. "Wait! What about Her." But before he could finish Snape had whirled around and locked eyes with Harry.   
  
"Your friend is fine." He said with irritation. But upon seeing the confusion swirling in the bright, emerald eyes he relaxed his stance and softened his voice "Just come with me. I assure you that Dumbledore will explain everything."   
  
Harry searched the older wizard's face. For what he wasn't sure but he caught a glimpse of an emotion he couldn't identify. Not sure why he was trusting the man who had gone out of his way to make his life miserable for three years, he hesitantly nodded his head and allowed the older wizard to once again lead him back to the school.  
  
A/N: Don't worry if everything did not make sense. It will by the end of the next few chapter (well in honesty in should make sense after the next chapter). Can anyone guess where I am going with this yet? Ok.quick note.this is getting very irritating. I keep centering things.using italics and ect. And then when I post my story looks completely different. Can somebody tell me what I am doing wrong before I tear my hair out?? Help 


	2. Explanations

A/N: First of all, I forgot to mention this story takes place around the end of the third book. Thank you to everyone who reviewed! I wasn't sure what the response to this one would be. It is not as thought out as my other one and seems to be writing itself. It is also a little more complicated and harder to explain. I hope I cleared up some of the questions. Don't worry..more things will be cleared up in the following chapter. Also thank you for to everyone who gave me info on how to send this different. I forgot all about HTML ..I will just have to look up those codes. Don't I have to use HTML codes to do that? Anyway..I hope you enjoy. Response to reviews at the end!  
  
Oh before I forget: I don't own them!! Never have and to my immense displeasure never will (  
  
Harry silently followed Professor Snape along the corridor up to the Headmaster's office. As they walked, he noticed that something felt different to him. Even though he traveled these halls everyday, he was unable to put his finger on what it was. Something just felt off. The closer they got to their destination, the more the feeling intensified. Harry began to feel panicky and wasn't sure what to do. He unconsciously started wiping his sweaty palms on his robe trying to get rid of the results of his nervousness.   
  
'What is wrong with me? I like the Headmaster! Why am I suddenly afraid?' Harry desperately thought to himself. He was so lost in thought that he hadn't realized that Snape had come to a stop. For a second time in one night, he ran right into the older wizard. Surprisingly it only earned him a glare rather then the scathing comments he was expecting. Snape acting out of character only heightened Harry's sense of unease.   
  
In just a matter of seconds the two were standing at the office door. Instead of knocking, Snape paused and kept glancing between the door and to Harry. He wasn't sure how the older wizard was going to take the news. Snape did know that once they went through this door, life as he knew it was going to change. He had a sneaky suspicion that the return of Harry Potter was going to have some serious ramifications to his own life. Severus looked down one more time at the boy and noticed him fidgeting. He knew that if he did not hurry up and open the door the child would start asking questions that he wasn't prepared to answer so with a deep breath to steady himself he finally knocked.   
  
"Come in Severus" a soft amused voice could be heard to say. "I know if someone is knocking at this hour it must be you, do come in child" he finished as he watched Professor Snape enter. He was just bringing a cup of tea to his mouth for a sip when he caught sight of who was standing behind the potion master. The cup slipped unnoticed to the floor splashing tea all over the Headmaster's bright purple robe. The hot scalding liquid shocked the wizard and brought him out of his daze. "Harry?"   
  
'This is ridiculous' Harry thought to himself "What is wrong with them?" He accidentally muttered out loud instead of silently like he planned. His cheeks reddened and he could feel the heat from his blush of embarrassment creeping up the back of his neck. "Sorry sir, I didn't mean to be rude. I.." Harry said in a rush trying to apologize.   
  
"It's quite alright Harry. Please sit down." Albus stated somewhat nervously, waving his two guests into chairs across from him. "Now please before I begin, tell me the last thing you remember." He asked the anxious looking child in front of him. His question served two purposes. The first was to satisfy his curiosity as to what actually happened and the second was that it gave him enough time to collect his thoughts. He knew that Harry was going to have a difficult time with everything that was going to be discussed tonight and he wanted to make sure he thought through his explanation so that he could tell him as gently as possible.   
  
"Well, the last thing I remember is Hermione and I grabbing on to the time turner to go and rescue Sirius by.." Harry trailed off as he remembered just who he was admitting this in front of. His face paled and he couldn't keep from staring at Professor Snape in panic. 'How could I be so stupid!' he mentally berated himself. Harry remembered that to Professor Snape, Sirius was a murderer and an old hated enemy. The memory of the wild look his professor had when he came to the shrieking shack and saw Sirius and the undisguised hatred he had seen in those eyes flashed through this mind. Harry desperately tried to think of something to say to try and fix the damage he had done with his confession but he couldn't get his mouth to work.   
  
Dumbledore was only half listening to the explanation while the other half of his mind was working through what he wanted to say so it took him a moment to realize that Harry quit mid sentence and looked so pale and panicked that he was concerned the boy would pass out. He quickly went around his desk and knelt by Harry's chair while placing his hand on his shoulder for support. "Relax Harry. It's okay. You didn't do anything wrong. I have already told Professor Snape what happened with Sirius and he knows he was innocent." Once he felt the small body under his hand quit trembling he continued. "Harry what I have to say is going to be difficult. Why don't we move to the sofa and get more comfortable." With a strength belying his age, Albus helped lift Harry to his feet who then unsteadily made his way over to the sofa.   
  
Dumbledore positioned the boy so that he was leaning against him and would be able to benefit from the comfort he was offering. He then looked up and noticed that Snape was still pacing in front of his desk. "Severus, please join us." He stated indicating the large, comfortable sitting chair directly across from him. With a wave of his hand the chair moved close enough so that their knees touched. Albus could sense the agitation in the tense body of the potion master and wanted to offer what support he could. He had learned long ago, that while the younger wizard shied away from large gestures such as hugs he seemed to delight in small shows of affection. Just sitting close or a gentle hand on the shoulder was usually all that was needed.   
  
"Now, I have a lot to tell you. I know some of it will be confusing, and most difficult to handle, but I ask that you try to keep your questions to a minimum until I finish. As hard as it is for you to hear it will be equally as difficult for me to say. But if at anytime it becomes overwhelming and you need me to stop, I want you to let me know" Albus said in a kind but serious voice.   
  
Harry searched Professor Dumbledore's eyes. The haunted look and the serious tone were beginning to make him even more nervous then he was to begin with. He took a deep breath and squared his shoulders determined to be strong and listen to what had to be said.   
  
After seeing the shaky nod of acceptance, Dumbledore began "First I need to explain something so that you can have a better understanding of things. A time turner, like you and Hermione used is based on an ancient magic. What the device does is to help a witch or wizard open up and step from one time to another, whether it is to go to the past or to the future. You leave the present through a sort of 'door' and pass through a void, or something similar to a hallway. Just like a hallway, the void isn't a designation in of itself but just serves as an area that leads to more doors or again for this case the past or the future.   
  
"Voldemort must have become aware of this concept during his time here at Hogwarts and studied the ancient magic behind the device. I can only assume that before his demise he had also learned how to separate his consciousness and magic from his body for short periods of time. Now, in Godric Hollow, when the curse rebounded off of you and right before it hit Voldemort, he must have had enough time to separate and open the 'door' of the present and slip through. Since the void does not exist in time he would have been able to survive without a body but was probably too weakened to open another 'door' to either the past or the future so he was stuck.   
  
"With everything that has happened I can only guess that during his time at Hogwarts while he was studying the intricacies of time, one of the first things he must have figured out was how to make a door and charmed his diary to serve this purpose. When Ms. Weasley opened the diary, she allowed Voldemort out. Since his body was destroyed he was only able to return as his past self Tom Riddle. When you drove the basilik fang through the book it started to deteriorate and it pulled Tom back through, once again imprisoning him. Somehow when you used the time turner, he had enough energy to curse you and slip through the opening you had opened."  
  
"But if that's true then how did Voldemort become apart of Professor Quirell during my first year?" Harry questioned.  
  
"Ah yes, I had forgotten about that. I can only guess that while Professor Quirell was abroad he got his hands on a time turner. With his extensive study of DADA, it possible that he had figured out the possibilities of Voldemort's survival in the void and intentionally tried to release him. It is the only thing that makes sense. Voldemort would not have been strong enough to take over Professor's Quirell even the little that he had without the younger wizard wanting the Dark Lord to do so. Unfortunately, all of this can only be supposition on my part. There is no way to truly know what happened." Dumbledore said with a sigh.  
  
Harry shook his head "You know almost everything Professor. I bet your guess comes closer to the truth then anybody else could ever get."  
  
Albus just smiled at Harry. "You have just shown me the faith you have in me that Fawkes must have sensed in you last year when she flew down to the Chamber of Secrets. Thank you Harry." He said with a gentle pat to the boy's hand and then continued with his story.  
  
"Since Ms. Granger did not sense or see another presence, I can only assume that Voldemort took over the body of some small animal or insect. Because of his weakened state he would not have been able to take over the body of a person, which was very fortunate for Hermione."  
  
"I don't understand!" Harry exclaimed. "I don't remember any of this." He said while begging the older wizard with his eyes to help him make sense of things. All of a sudden Harry's eyes widened in horror "Mione!" he cried. "NO! Something has happened to her. That's why Professor Snape wouldn't tell me where she was." He stated in fear and then buried his face into the folds of Dumbledore's robe crying as if his heart where breaking.   
  
Harry was only thirteen but he had experienced a lot in his young life. He had lost his parents at the tender age of one, was denied the love of his Godfather, sent to live with muggles who despised him and treated him more as a servant than family. Once he had arrived at Hogwarts he had battled a troll, fought Voldemort twice, went through most of the school turning their backs on him when they thought he was Slytherin's heir, and just this year had to face dementors and listen to the screams of his parents while they died to save him. On top of all that, he found out about his godfather's innocence only to have his hope of a normal life shattered due to the fact that his Godfather was on the run. Through all of this he had remained strong and never once shed a tear, but he was finally at his breaking point. The thought of losing one of his closest friends on top of all the tragedy he had already endured during his life was just too much. He broke down and let out all the years of fear and anguish that had been building up inside him.   
  
As his cries finally slowed down he could hear the soothing words being whispered in his ear and feel the strong comforting arms holding him close. Eventually the words started to make sense and he bolted upright in surprise. Wiping the tears from his face he again locked eyes with his Headmaster "D.did you say Hermione was okay?" He asked in a small hopeful voice.   
  
"Yes child. She was frightened when she realized that you were not there with her but knowing how important Sirius is to you, she kept her head and went ahead and completed the task of rescuing Sirius."   
  
A huge grin broke across Harry's face "Then where is she? I want to go see her." He said in excitement and jumped up and headed for the door.   
  
"Harry, come here child. I am not finished. There is more you need to know." He stated while opening up his arms.   
  
Harry tensed at the look on the Headmaster's face and began to shake his head back and forth. "No, you said she was okay. I want to go see her." He demanded, all the while slowly inching toward the older wizard.   
  
As soon as the boy was close enough, Albus grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him closer. Before Harry could protest, Dumbledore pulled him into his lap and cuddled him. The child struggled for a moment but soon relaxed into the embrace.   
  
"I assure you Harry, your friend is fine. It was you we were worried about." Albus could feel the body go rigid in his arms and muttered a few soothing words before continuing. "It seems that when Voldemort attacked you he must have damaged the time turner you had in your hands. The combination of the curse and the damage to the time turner must have been enough to cause your first death and to send you into the future. For you it has only been a few hours but to the rest of the world it has been ten years. When we could not find you, everyone had thought that you had either been kidnapped by death eaters or you died. We had no idea that you would return to us in another time." Dumbledor stated all of this in a soft whisper to try and soften the blow.   
  
Harry's head spun as he tried to process what he had been told. "T..ten years!" He squeaked in shock. Seconds after his exclamation the first part of what Dumbledore had said slammed into his brain leaving him feeling dizzy "What do you mean my first death!"   
A/N: So did that clear up any questions?? Before answering reviews I want to give a big thanks to my beta reader. She has given me more help than I can truly thank her for. THANKS!!!  
Charma1219: I am glad you liked it.  
Kanashimi Sorry it was so confusing. Hope this chapter helps a little. Thanks for the info about using HTML. I am also glad you want to read more (  
Bee: I am glad you find the story intriguing. Hope it doesn't disappoint you. Also, thank you about the info about using html (did everyone know this but me?)  
KATY99: Sorry it was confusing..hopes this helps and glad you want to read more. Also thank you about telling me about html  
Cat: You are the only one who completely pegged the story (your second guess) Good job!! Fifty points to the house of your choice! Hope this story doesn't end up disappointing you.  
Life: Yes, it is perfectly all right to say you are confused. You were close just the wrong direction. Hope this helped a little.  
Baroness Jumping Rain; Sidda: I am glad you liked it. Yours had to me one of the most enthusiastic reviews I have had. Hope this helps you figure out what is going on. More surprised though in following chapters. Interesting name by the way.  
Istalksiriusonweekends: I just love your name hehe. You are close but no not an alternate universe. Hope you liked this chapter. Did I update soon enough?  
Sal: Hmmm webpage you say. I will have to play around and try that. Thanks! I am glad you liked the story. Your guess was close but no not an alternate universe.but you were right, he did think that Harry was dead. Hope you like this chapter.  
Sevter: Glad you liked it. Hehe I know the feeling about being too lazy to sigh in grins I often feel the same way! 


	3. Question for Readers

Okay..I have a question for everyone. I have been without a computer (my laptop died) but it was sent to the computer hospital and is now all better. I have a few chapters written of my stories but now my beta reader is out of town and cannot get back to me until the 17th. I can either wait until she gets back to post or go ahead and post them now and then revise them after the 17th. Which would you guys prefer. I feel so bad that I made you wait so long that I am leaving it up to you guys. Just be forewarned that the chapters are not as good until after Saavik waves her magic wand over them. I am not guaranteeing that they will be readable without her input...so consider that before responding. Just let me know what the preference is. The majority will rule in this case. I will give it a day or two to tally up and decide.  
  
Sorry about the delay guys. But I will try really hard to post at least once a week from now on (well as soon as this decision is made!)  
  
Charley 


	4. Exhaustion

Hi everybody!! Sorry it took so long to get this out. Thank you to everyone who responded and encouraged me to post. Also.some expressed some confusion over the whole time travel explanation. It is not imperative to understand in order to follow the story. You just have to be willing to accept that Harry is now ten years in the future and that Voldemort is back even though for this story the events in the fourth book haven't happened.  
  
I also want to give a huge thank you to Corgi for beta reading this for me. She was kind enough to offer some help until Saavik comes back.  
  
.................................. "Harry, let me back up a little so that you may understand." Dumbledore began as he brushed away a few stray tears staining Harry's cheek. "There are two types of magical people. There are the ordinary witches and wizards that you are aware of and then there are sorcerers. Sorcerers are rare and more powerful then witches and wizards. Not only are they more powerful but they also are somewhat immortal. I don't mean that they cannot die but that it is very difficult and until they are killed a second time they will continue to live. The only known ways for sorcerers to die is by the hand of another more powerful sorcerer or if one comes into power at too young of an age, their bodies are usually incapable of handling the power and it overwhelms their young bodies which in turn destroys them."  
  
Harry listened to the older wizard but was still confused. "I still don't understand what you mean by first and second deaths. And what do you mean, when they come into their power? Aren't they born with it?"  
  
Professor Snape could hold his tongue no longer. "Well if you would just be quiet long enough to let the Headmaster finish, you just might understand."  
  
"Now Severus, do calm yourself, if I remember correctly when we had this conversation five years ago, you had already interrupted me three times by this point." Albus scolded with amusement twinkling in his eyes.  
  
"Now where was I?" Dumbledore asked while stroking his long white beard. "Ah, yes. I remember now. Before a sorcerer comes into their power they are just like an ordinary witch or wizard. After they are "killed" they come into their power which revives their bodies. It is like being reborn again, and once they are reborn they are officially a sorcerer. It does not matter how old the person is when they experience their first death, no matter what age they are, they will come into their power. Once the sorcerer comes into their power, their bodies remain at the age it was at the time of the first death. Some come into power too young and it destroys them. But this is actually a good thing. Imagine a wizard who has their first death at two months old and is forced to live hundreds of years as an infant."  
  
Dumbledore watched the young boy in his arms to gauge how he was handling the information so far. He was also a little concerned about the boy's age. Would his body be able to cope with the power now surging through it or would it destroy him? He prayed with all of his might that this child would be strong enough to survive. As he searched the boy's face he noticed the dark circles under Harry's eyes and the obvious exhaustion and decided to put an end to the discussion tonight. "Now, it is very late and you are tired. I think it would be best if we all got some rest and continued this discussion tomorrow after the end of the year feast." He stated as he stood up and set the boy back down to stand on his own two feet.  
  
Harry couldn't believe his ears. There was no way he could go to sleep right now. He has way too many questions that still needed to be answered. "No! I don't want to go to bed. I still have questions that need to be answered." He shouted at the two older wizards. His eyes went wide when he realized who he had just spoken to in such a heated manner. "I.I'm s..s..sorry sir. I didn't mean.." He stammered while backing slowly away in fright.  
  
"Of all the cheek, you dare to speak to the headmaster that way!" Snape snarled while angrily striding towards the boy. Just as he reached out to grab the child's arm, Harry flinches and throws his hands up to cover his face.  
  
Harry, in his exhausted state, lost track of who he was speaking to and reacted on instinct. "I'm sorry Uncle Vernon. Please don't! I will be good." When he didn't feel the expected blow, he looked up and found Professor Snape frozen in shock before him. Harry sank down into his chair and buried his face into his hands in humiliation. He couldn't believe after all these years of successfully hiding the fact that his muggle family abused him, he accidentally reveals it to his most hated teacher.  
  
Professor Snape was shocked by the child's behavior and even more so when he realized the implications behind the actions. He couldn't believe how he had so wrongly misjudged this boy. Over the last three years had had assumed that the boy was just like his father. He thought that as the boy who lived he must have been fawned over at home and completely spoiled. Snape had so much hatred for the father that he was blind to the evidence that Harry was just a frightened abused boy trying to live up to the standards the wizarding world held him in. All of them had lost sight of the fact that Harry was just a child.  
  
Snape felt most of his hatred and anger melt away. If he was honest with himself, he wasn't sure what he thought about the boy anymore. Harry was usually cheeky and defiant. He treated rules as if they didn't pertain to him and had a knack for jumping blindly into danger. But on the whole, he was not the horrible child he always thought him to be. He would have to spend some time alone at another time and contemplate what to do with these new revelations. But at the time being he had to concentrate on getting the boy to bed.  
  
With gentleness most would think him incapable of, Snape slowly picked the boy up and held onto him. "Headmaster, I will take the boy down to the dungeons with me. It wouldn't do, to have anyone see him and figure out whom he is before we decide what to tell everyone." With that said he slowly made his way to the door and turned back to his mentor. "Albus, I will make sure he eats and gets some sleep. Don't worry, he is a strong boy. He will be just fine." And then he slipped out of the office.  
  
They had made it all the way down into the dungeons and through the portrait to Snape's private chambers before Harry regained his senses. "Where are we?" He asked in a tired small voice.  
  
"We are in my chambers where you will eat and then go to bed." Snape replied as he set the boy in a chair in front of a table. With a snap of his fingers, a small house elf popped into the room. "Peppy, please bring a sandwich and some pumpkin juice."  
  
"Can Peppy be getting Master Severus anything else?" The elf squeaked as she bounced up and down.  
  
"No, that will be all." Snape replied waving the house elf off to go get the requested food. Within in seconds Peppy was back and quietly set the plate and goblet in front of Harry and then disappeared once again.  
  
"I'm not hungry." Harry mumbled while looking down at his hands. He was so tired and confused that food was the last thing he felt he needed at the moment. All he wanted was to go back up to the headmaster's office and get the rest of his answers.  
  
"I did not ask if you were hungry. I told the headmaster you would eat and eat you shall. You have had quite a shock today and your body needs the nourishment. Now eat!" Snape commanded.  
  
Harry just stubbornly shook his head no. "I am not hungry" he growled.  
  
"You will either eat the sandwich willingly or I will plug your nose and force feed you, but either way you will eat!" Snape said in a calm silky voice.  
  
Harry's head shot up in shock, and he searched his professor's face. Seeing the calm resolve in the black obsidian eyes, he picked up his sandwich and started eating. After the first few bites, he realized just how hungry he was and polished the first one off in a matter of seconds and started on a second. After washing the second sandwich down with the rest of the pumpkin juice he looked up to find Snape watching him in amusement.  
  
"Hungrier than you thought were you?" Snape asked while trying to prevent the smile he could feel trying to tug at the corners of his mouth. "Well, now that you are finished eating, off to bed with you." He said as he transfigured the couch into a comfortable looking bed.  
  
Not wanting to test the older wizard's patience anymore tonight, Harry quickly got up and made his way over the bed and took off his robe. Now dressed only in his oversized muggle shirt and pants that he had gotten from Dudley, he quickly crawled under Snape's arm that was holding the covers back and lay down.  
  
"Sir," Harry started hesitantly. "I am not trying to be defiant, but I honestly don't think I could sleep. I have too much going on in my mind right now. I have so many questions and I am so confused."  
  
Snape looked down into watery green eyes and realized that Harry was trying with all his might to remain strong and not cry in front of him. He realized that the boy was telling the truth and was honestly not trying to be argumentative. With a sigh he got up and went over to a shelf that contained different color and shaped potion bottles. He quickly grabbed one and came back to the boy's side. "I believe you child. I want you to drink this. It should help." And with that said he handed the boy a small bottle filled with a deep blue liquid.  
  
Harry eyed the bottle skeptically, trying to decide if he should trust the potion master.  
  
"Of for the love of ." Snape began in exasperation. "I am not trying to poison you, you silly child. Now drink."  
  
Harry looked at the bottle a few more seconds and then tipped it up to his mouth and drank. The blue liquid burned as it made its way down his throat and left a pleasant warm feeling in his stomach. He then remembered the lesson they had at the beginning of his second year and knew that he had just drank a harmless sleeping draught. With a slight smile upon his lips he quickly dropped off into sleep. 


	5. Cleaning up

Hi again. Here is another chapter. I sure hope this story isn't disappointing. It seems that a lot of people like Adjustment and I can only hope that this one will be enjoyed just as much.  
  
Thank you goes to Corgi for being nice enough to beta read for me until Saavik comes back ( Oh and before I forget..I DON'T OWN THEM!!  
  
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Harry stretched comfortably in bed not yet willing to open his eyes. He felt comfortable and content and was not ready to face a new day. However, he knew that he could not remain in bed forever and slowly opened his eyes. As he sat up and sleepily rubbed his eyes, the events of the night before slowly seeped into his mind. He looked around with wide eyes when he remembered just where he was.  
  
He surveyed the room and was surprised at what he found. He had always thought that the private chambers of his potion master would either be in Slytherin colors since Professor Snape was the head of Slytherin or dark to match the man's personality. Instead what he found was a bright, comfortable room in pleasant earth tones.  
  
Harry swung his head to face the table where he ate his supper last night when he heard a deep throated chuckle. "I am afraid the color scheme was the headmaster's idea. He got tired of me living in, what he referred to as, a depressing and dreary room." The older wizard said waving his hand to indicate the room they were in.  
  
Snape got up and started walking over to the bed. He narrowed his eyes as he noticed that the boy slowly shrank into himself. With a deep sigh, he slowed his pace and made it clear that he had no intention of hurting the child. During his slow approach towards the bed, he took the opportunity to assess the boy. Harry was dressed in shabby clothes that were many sizes too big for him and he still had smudges of dirt on his face from his ordeal the night before. "I think that the first order of business is for you to get a bath. While you are busy getting clean, I will call a house elf to bring you some lunch."  
  
Harry hesitated. He was a little unsure of spending so much time in this professor's presence. "I can go back to the common room and shower there." He started to say until he remembered that he was thought to be dead. His face reddened in embarrassment. "Yes sir, a bath would be nice. But I am not hungry." At the look that was being leveled at him, he remembered the threat from last night. He relented with a touch of annoyance in his voice. "I guess I can eat a little bit. Wait, lunch, what happened to breakfast?" He asked in surprise.  
  
"You slept through breakfast. It is now almost twelve thirty." He informed the boy in amusement.  
  
"Twelve thirty! Wow, I don't remember ever sleeping that late. Not even on weekends." Harry responded while getting up out of bed. "Um, sir? Where is the bath?" Harry questioned, his cheeks reddening even more. "And what am I to do about clean clothes?" He questioned, while looking down, taking in the muddy state his present clothes were in.  
  
"Go down the hallway and it is the first door on the right. I guess I will just have to lend you some of my clothes until someone can take you to Diagon Alley. Although you seem to prefer your clothes a bit on the baggy side, I am afraid mine would be way too long for you. Therefore, I will spell them to fit." He told the boy, unable to keep the accustomed sarcasm from his voice.  
  
Harry bristled a little at the tone. "I can not help that my cousin is a whale, and his clothes were the only ones my Aunt would give me!" He shouted. "And you try living in a cupboard for eleven years and see how tall you would be!" He retorted to the obvious dig abut his short stature.  
  
Snape bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself from speaking the biting comments that were ready to spill out. "I am sorry." He said through gritted teeth, unaccustomed to apologizing.  
  
Harry was caught of guard by the unexpected apology. Although he could tell it took a lot for his professor to say it, he never expected to hear those words come from this man's mouth. Still feeling a little resentment over the man's earlier attitude he felt brave enough to ask the question that had bothered him for the last three years. "Sir, why do you hate me so much?"  
  
The potion master was a little taken back by the question. He had never expected the boy to be so forward. Deciding to answer honestly, he replied "I don't hate you."  
  
Harry just looked at the older man in confusion for a few moments. "You could have fooled me over the years. Sorry sir, but I am not used to people who don't hate me to constantly insult me." He replied with a little of the hurt and anger bleeding into his voice.  
  
Snape decided to ignore the attitude and took a deep, calming breath to keep his temper in check. "I admit, I thought I hated you. It was really your father that I hated. Plus I had assumed over the years that as the 'boy who lived' that you were spoiled at home. I had assumed that you were just as arrogant and self absorbed as your father was. I realize now that I was wrong."  
  
Harry took a few moments to turn the man's words over in his head. "I suppose I can understand. The only thing anyone has ever seen was the boy who lived. Why should I expect anything different from you?" He said with a touch of bitterness.  
  
"Harry, look at me." He waited until the boy's eyes met his own. "Not everyone only sees the boy who lives. There are those that care for you. Your friends care deeply for you. The Headmaster, Hagrid, and even Minerva love you. I know the world expects a lot from you, but you must not lose sight of the fact that there are those that care for Harry the boy, not Harry the savior."  
  
A tear slowly made its way down Harry's cheek. He quickly brushed it away. "Thank you sir, I know that must have been hard for you to say, and I do appreciate it." Uncomfortable in the sudden silence he decided to change the subject. "I am ready for that bath now."  
  
Snape sighed in relief. He was not used to being so open, especially with the boy he had thought that he hated. "Fine, go ahead and I will bring you some clothes." Harry walked toward the hallway and turned to face the professor. He gave a hesitant smile and then disappeared around the corner. When he opened the door he was surprised to see the huge bath that took up most of the room. It was the size of small pool. Now completely excited for his bath, he quickly stripped out of the hated clothes and jumped in. While he was walking toward the bath, Professor Snape must have summoned a house elf to fill the tub, for it was already filled with hot steaming water and mild scented bubbles.  
  
Harry dove in and did a few laps before settling down to rest in the relaxing water. He didn't remember at anytime during his thirteen years ever taking a bath. At the Dursley's he was lucky enough to have the opportunity to have a quick sponge bath, and at school he always had to quickly shower so as not to be late. He found that he loved the feel of the steaming water relaxing his muscles and found that the soft scent of the soap calmed his mind.  
  
After realizing that his skin was starting to wrinkle up and after hearing a rumble coming from his stomach, Harry felt that it was time to step out and dry off. After wrapping a large fluffy towel around himself and looking around the room, he found a small pile of clothes waiting for him. He shook out a large pair of deep black jeans and one of the softest sweaters he had ever felt before. Not surprisingly, since the clothes did belong to Snape, the entire outfit was black. After he was fully dressed he looked at himself in the mirror and couldn't control the laughter that erupted at the image he found there. He looked absolutely ridiculous. While Dudley's clothes had been huge on him, at least they were not overly long. Although Dudley was a bit taller than him, it was nothing compared to the difference in height between himself and his professor. The pants were so long that he had to roll them up at least five times. His arms were lost in the sleeves of the sweater. He looked like a small five year old child trying on his father's clothes. Harry dreaded the amused look he was sure to see on Snape but knew that he could not hide in this room forever. Just as he opened the door and stepped out he ran right into his potion master.  
  
Snape took one look at the boy and couldn't keep himself from busting up with laughter. He had not laughed like this since he was a boy but at the sight presented to him he was unable to hide his mirth. "A little on the baggy side, aren't we?" He asked in obvious amusement.  
  
Harry just leveled a glare that would have equaled one of Snape's. "It is not funny!" He shouted while trying to hide his own smile. "Would you please stop laughing long enough to spell the clothes?" He said, not able to contain his own laughter now.  
  
With a wave of his wand, Snape made the clothes fit the boy perfectly. "Now that, that little problem is resolved, it is time to eat." He told the chuckling boy as he guided him to the table that was leaden with food.  
  
Harry looked down at himself. For the first time that he could remember he had on clothes that actually fit him. It felt strange not to have the arms and legs rolled up and not to have to wear rope around his waist to hold up his pants. He smiled in happiness when he realized for the first time, he looked like any other average boy.  
  
Harry let himself be guided to the table and then groaned when he saw how much food was there. "Were you expecting to feed a small army?" He squeaked in trepidation. "Please tell me you don't expect me to eat all of that!"  
  
Professor Snape looked from the heaping piles of food on the table and to the pale complexion of the boy who looked sick at the prospect of having to eat the enormous amount of food. He was very tempted to tease the boy for a little bit but changed his mind. "Just eat what you can. But I do expect you to eat something and not just nibble, understood?" He stated in a stern voice. The child was much too thin, and with the changes going on within him, he knew that if he were to have any chance of surviving it he would have take care of himself.  
  
"Yes sir." Harry said resigned to the fact that he was going to have to at least eat a large plate full. Unfortunately he really was not all that hungry. But he knew the professor would not let him up until he consumed a satisfactory serving of food.  
  
After lunch was finished and the table was cleared the two made their way into the sitting room. The day was spent in comfortable silence. Harry had found that Snape had an extensive library and was able to find a muggle detective novel that was quite entertaining. He was unsurprised to see that Snape was ensconced in a large obscure potion book.  
  
Harry began to listlessly move about in his chair. The closer the time was to five the more anxious and nervous he became. He knew that after dinner, the time would have arrived to go up to the headmaster's office. He was ready to hear the rest of the information that Dumbledore needed to tell him but was also nervous about what he would learn.  
  
In deference to Harry's growing nerves, Snape did not demand he eat a large dinner. They quietly ate sandwiches and drank some pumpkin juice. Not long after dinner the time had finally arrived to head up to the headmaster's office. Severus felt his own nerves beginning to fray. He suspected what was in store for him tonight and he was a little unsure of how he felt about it. Unwilling to dwell on something he was unsure of he shoved the thoughts aside. He would just have to wait and see how the events unfolded tonight.  
  
Snape walked over and tapped Harry on the head. "Come, it is time." He then guided the boy out of the portrait hole. 


End file.
